How to Disable/Remove Software Updater from Avast Antivirus

Avast Software Updater is a quite unique Avast feature which was introduced with the Avast version 8, released in 2013. It automatically monitors all your installed applications and checks if they are up-to-date. Outdated applications, like Java, are a typical way how hackers can get access to your computer. Therefore Avast Software Updater pushes you to update every software on your computer.

Such instant push and force to do something may be sometimes intrusive. Typically you see these pop-ups notifications every day. But as always with Avast there is a way how to sort it out. Basically you have three options – disable notifications, turn off Software Updater, or remove Software Updater completely.

Avast Software Updater Overview

Disable Avast Software Updater Pop-up Notifications

First, and the most safe solution we are recommending is to only disable the Software Updater pop-ups notifications, and keep the feature up and running. To do so you need to follow these steps

Open your Avast interface by double-clicking on the orange icon in the Windows system tray. Or you can find Avast in the Windows Start » All Programs » Avast

We also strongly recommend to run the Software Updater from time to time (like once a week), and update all programs manually. If you are looking for a way how to turn off some other Avast pop-up notification, check out this article – ‘How to Disable (Turn Off) Avast Pop-up Notifications‘.

Disabling Avast Software Updater Pop-up Notifications

Turn Off Avast Software Updater Feature

Another safe solution is to disable the Avast Software Updater feature but keep it installed. So in case you need to run it, you will just re-enable it. To do so you need to follow these steps

Open your Avast interface by double-clicking on the orange icon in the Windows system tray. Or you can find Avast in the Windows Start » All Programs » Avast

Go to ‘Settings’ (left menu) » ‘Tools’

Find ‘Software Updater’, switch the ‘ON’ button to ‘OFF’ state, and confirm by clicking on ‘OK’

Now Software Updater is disabled but still installed, so it can be easily re-enabled

Disabling Avast Software Updater Feature

Remove/Uninstall Avast Software Updater Completely

The last, most ‘drastic’ way is to uninstall the Avast Software Updater completely. We definitely do not recommend doing this as we strongly believe Software Updater feature is very useful though sometimes intrusive. If you want to still remove it, follow these steps

Go to Windows Control Panel » ‘Programs’ » ‘Programs and Features’, in the list of installed software select Avast antivirus and click on ‘Change’

Avast Installation window should open, make sure you have ‘Change’ selected, and click on the ‘Continue’ button

In the list of installed components un-check Software Updater, click on the ‘Continue’ button, and wait until the process finishes

Restart your computer and Sotware Updater is now completely removed from your Avast

Same steps will also work in case you would like to put Software Updater back.

Removing Avast Software Updater Completely

Additional Notes

Although we have used Avast Free Antivirus 2017 screenshots in this article, these steps are also applicable for all Avast Antivirus solutions (i.e. also for Avast Pro Antivirus, Avast Internet Security, or Avast Premier) running the latest version available.

Written by Paul B.

My name is Paul and I love Avast since the Home Edition v4.8 (2008). I am recommending it to all my friends, but I realized they don't know how to use it. So I started this site in order to help others getting maximum from this awesome antivirus. Feel free to contact me via Facebook, comments below or this form.

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I uninstalled Avast awhile ago and changed AV software, yet I still get the “Avast Upgrade Utility” popup. There is nothing in it but a blank window, but since I don’t have Avast installed, how do I get rid of this part?

Sorry for my previous reply, but after I posted this I realized that this option was maybe missing for I disabled Software Updater completely. This seemed to be the case. After Enabling again and rebooting my system that option was available. So I could do what I wanted to do. Thanks for pointing me to the place where this option is now. (Although you should have told me to enable Software Updater again to get this option.) However it is still strange that Avast version 10.3.2225 installed VLC without asking me to do the update action. I never got the ‘dialog’ to click the Update buttons. In this list VLC was not marked as Ignored so I ignored it now. My question now is: – Will I get this ‘dialog’ in the future for the free version or will it always install without confirmation.

Thanks again for your answer, but this does not help. To be sure I changed my language setting from Dutch to English for this. The only options by/within Scan are: – Smart scan – Scan for viruses – Scan for Browser add-ons – Scan for network threats – Scan for performance issues What was strange too is that Avast version 10.3.2225 updated VLC without asking me while the documentation states that this should be done manually for the Free version.

Thanks for this answer, but I already know how to completely disable Software Updater for this is explained in this page and I already did this. The questions are: 1- Where can I find the list of programs managed by Software Updater? 2- How can I disable a managed program selectively?

Yesterday Avast version 10.3.2225 is installed. Today Avast software updater installed a new version for VLC. In a previous version of Avast I had ignored the update for this program. I dont want a new version for VLC, for all versions after VLC 2.0.8 have a bug in the interface used by other programs (my own delphi program) in volume control. In this newest version of Avast I cannot find anything about which programs are managed by software-updater and how to selectively disable them.

1 – Is the only way to disable software-updater completely (via control panel unsetting this by changing the installed Avast components) ?

Sorry to hear about this. You can disable Software Updater completely by going to Settings » Tools » Software Updater and switching it to OFF state. Settings of your ignored software may get somehow reset during the program update.